Travelling with Healthy Choices in Mind

        It seems that it might be an exciting New Year for many visiting different parts of the Globe

                      
                                                                   




If you are considering a trip, it is definitely wise to be thinking about the healthy aspect of your travel arrangements. Arriving feeling heavy from all the carbs and sugary treats offered during your flight, teas, coffees and alcohol plus a good dose of jet lag, may not be the best option! I find the average food outlets supplying Vegetarian or Vegan choices  in Airports pretty uninspiring & meals on planes can be equally so, especially if you like an abundance of fresh living food; Having a simple plan or strategy will allow you to enjoy your trip without stressing out and you will find that you arrive in much better shape.
The following are some simple yet effective tips that will help you to achieve travelling stress free.
What you’ll need:
I like to take some fresh fruit; Bananas, apples, oranges,grapes are good and dates stuffed with nut butter make for a nice snack. Take some crackers, perhaps some celery & carrot sticks with a dip of choice. Make a large box of salad.Include a packet of olives, sundried tomatoes and a some nuts and seeds to add extra flavour along with a small bottle for your homemade dressing.
A large bottle of water at the airport shop before boarding the plane always helps in staying hydrated, or ask the Air Hostess for one; filling up those small glasses supplied on board doesn't really do the trick for me, I think the more water you can consume, the better it will be for your body after the flight, particularly if it is a long International one involving 12-24 hours.
If you have a sweet tooth, some raw cacao balls, mixed dried fruit or a fruit salad from home, or raw snack bars might be an addition to your pack and don't forget a good book!

Another great idea is to carry with you in your luggage a small "magic bullet" blender with an adaption electric plug for your Country of destination.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            I have found this to be marvelous, as a quick stop at a fruit market or street stall whips up into a delicious smoothie anywhere, anytime. I often make one of these before heading out in the morning & it sustains me for hours of sightseeing.
A bag of almonds, a piece of fruit & your water bottle in your back pack will save a stop for lunch unless you find a place on the sidewalk too tempting to pass by, so you can see how easy and stress free it can all be.
                                                   
                                                         Happy Healthy Travels in 2014!                                                                  

Honey Gold Mangoes

Surely Mangoes have to be one of the most divine fruits to enjoy in the Summer months; and here in the Southern Hemisphere they are currently in abundance for one & all to indulge in their deliciousness! In some circles they are known as the"Fruit of the Gods" ! I can personally agree in giving them such accolades, and one for breakfast, is my current treat on these summery days.

I can remember our honeymoon all those years ago when my husband & I collected masses of Mangoes off trees in Fiji and retired to the bath to eat them! 

This is how to eat them without being covered in juice dripping off your arms! Cut a slice off either side narrowly missing the seed inside, slice accordingly & flip the piece inside out...Voila! 

                                                                                       

The best way to buy a Mango is simply use your nose. A ripe fresh Mango should have a fragrant tropical fruity aroma and will give slightly to the touch; do not buy green fruit or very soft bruised fruit, it will not be nice! Mangoes are grown in all States of mainland Australia except one, they have a firm, golden yellow juicy flesh, with a sweet flavour.

Honeygold Mangoes are perhaps my favourite variety, with their firm fibreless flesh making them perfect for salads, smoothies, cakes & deserts; I prefer eating them just on their own as there are no Mango fibres to get stuck between your teeth, which can be the case with some varieties.

Mangoes should not be refrigerated until they are fully ripe, never store them in plastic bags as they need air. They will keep in the refrigerator for a number of days. 

You might like to try these Mango Pancakes....the recipe comes to you from Vegan Magic and Magic they are...Yum and  thank you! 

 I took a basic recipe and tweaked it several times to make some very delicious fruit pancakes. If you enjoy mango as much as I do you'll love these ones. They are very easy to make, light and aromatic. The combination of mango and cardamom is widely used in India and gives these pancakes a plus of flavour.

• 1/2 cup whole flour
• 1 generous tsp baking powder (aluminium-free)
• 1/3 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp cardamom powder (or crush the seeds from 2-3 pods)
• 1 tsp unrefined caster sugar
• pinch of salt
• 1/2 cup almond milk 
• 1 Tb mild tasting oil of choice
• 5 Tb mango pulp

In a bowl mix the dry ingredients well. Add the milk and mix with a fork or whisk until just combined. Add the oil and lastly the mango pulp. The batter will be quite runny but the pancakes puff up very nicely and get cooked well.

Make them in a non-stick pan on medium heat. If they change colour too fast reduce the heat a little, they should remain golden-brown. Flip them over with a spatula when they are dry around the edges and bubbly on top. Cook for a further few seconds and remove them on a plate.

Serve the pancakes warm with maple syrup, sweet mango cream or mango ice cream.

Lets still Love Ourselves with Holidays Approaching

With the Holiday Season approaching I am aware that for many of us, the added pressure of family visits or being their guest, can have an additional emotional toll when it comes to food;  for some of us, we just want "to fit in", not "cause waves" 'keep everyone happy" by serving them food you know they love, even if it isn't particularly healthy or in line with our own ethical choices, & the addictive list of emotions that surface (of being "different") can be quite long!
In the meantime we forget about loving ourselves, our healthy choices and the life style we are working towards implementing! The need to explain, appear different from everyone else, jump through every hoop to please everyone, looms, as more & more people flow through the door......can anyone relate to this? "Fear" raises it's familiar head, what will people think, will they still love me, will they tease & berate me, criticize my choices, even judge what I choose to serve them in our home......
discussions like.... " breakfast, I'm soo hungry, I usually like eggs with bacon shall we poach them...well actually I haven't got any eggs or bacon! or.... "shall I light the BBQ, where's the steak"..."oh so you don't eat meat, well I had better help you fix the cheese platter"...well No, there's a nut cheese over there, a dip & some veggie crudites! "I'm hanging out for a beer, have you another frig somewhere that houses all the alcohol?" Well No, we can make up a delicious fruit punch! "Perhaps it's time we all had a meal in town"! Yes, that's fine but it's an 80 km round trip, do you still want to go!
These are conversations that we can be so fearful of having ; we can even have beliefs about what is socially acceptable and what is seen in some households as "normal" living.Some of us even find ourselves avoiding these friends or family in such challenging situations.
I remember my brother & family coming for a holiday not so long ago & his comment  on leaving, was...."well, we did survive the food & no alcohol in the cupboard; I know you went to a lot of trouble in preparing meals but it's certainly not the way I would eat from choice!" My fears were certainly realised in this feedback!

Eating healthy food does not mean a carrot stick or rabbit food. Including more fresh living foods in our diets will bring its own reward, we don't need to be fanatical about it, and I don't believe we have to necessarily be 100% Raw; this becomes a personal choice.


I would like to thank Raw Pleasure for this article; I think you might find it interesting & I wonder how many of us have contemplated on the points mentioned in this article; I know it is an area I have explored & I am still working on the addictive emotional components that sabotage my best intentions at times.

Eat Raw Because You Love Yourself

Written by Jennie Murphy

Recently I had an interesting chat to a lovely gentleman who said he ate raw because he hated his body. My heart twisted as he spoke because I knew how he felt. I too have hated my body despite the fact that it's a miracle in itself. This man hates his body because it has pimples and is weak among other things. "Will you eat raw if you get clear skin and become strong?" I asked him? "Probably not" he responded. "Once I'm strong I'll always be strong" and he seemed to conveniently forget that he also  "hated" (such a strong word!) the acne. I marvel at these people who have such confidence in themselves that they cannot imagine how it feels to dislike  yourself intensely.  The message I have here for you all, is to eat Raw, not because you hate your body, but because you love it and, dare I suggest that you love yourselves as well. Love it for it's ability to release toxic muck via the skin. Love it because it still struggles to get you through the day even when starving for nutrition. Love your body because it heals so quickly. Love your body because it wants you to do well. Take it to the next level, love yourself enough to eat optimal foods. You are not missing out. If you go to your Mum's or a friend's place and they're all eating junk while you're eating a fruit platter, or a salad meal, or a raw version of what  they're having, they are missing out. Not you. They're missing out on vital nutrition. They're missing out on the flavours of fresh whole foods. They're missing out on health and vitality even if they don't know it. You eat Raw because you Love yourself. It's as simple as that. Even if you feel like you hate yourself, you don't.  Somewhere down deep, you love yourself at levels you can't imagine. Otherwise,you'd be continuing with your slow  suicide of over processed, toxic crud the powers that be allow corporations to label as food. Embrace that feeling of  loving yourself, eat Raw and enjoy life. <3 Jennie xx